The ancient port city of Ulcinj (pop. 10,800), which lies in the south of the country, close to the border with Albania, is the one town in Montenegro where ethnic Albanians form a clear majority. 95% of them, says Ismet Karamaga, voted for Montenegrin independence.

Until the 1990's Ulcinj was a famous tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, including the country’s longest, Velika Plaza (“the Big Beach”), which extends over 12 km of sandy coastline.

Under the National Plan for Tourism, major facilities, as well as accommodation for 30,000 beds, are to be built at Velika Plaza. The project has been dubbed “the new Dubai."

The plan shuns the sort of high-rise accommodation that has scarred the southern coast of Spain. However, there are concerns about uncontrolled development, water, power and waste facilities, as well as the ecological impact on the area, famous for its plants and abundant aquatic life.